


Defying The Odds

by cemetery_gates



Series: Dark Matter [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Religion & Lore, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Romance, Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Loki (Marvel) - Freeform, Loki is gonna have a rough time, Mutual Pining, Pining, Pre-Thor (2011), Slow Burn, Sweet Loki (Marvel), War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:23:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29771313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cemetery_gates/pseuds/cemetery_gates
Summary: Valdis Starborn fell to Asgard with no memory of where she came from or what her purpose is. All who heard of her wanted answers, but none could be found. And where mystery arises, untouched and unquestioned, it continues to fester.With immense power growing, Valdis is left to control her abilities with the help of Loki, the youngest son of the Allfather. The duo have battled with wooden swords and become masters of sorcery together, but nothing could prepare them for the chaos that would challenge their close bond.When the goddess's powers are discovered as a weapon of destruction and control, Valdis must decide for herself where her path will lead. Evil forces are ever present on Asgard, lusting for the power in which resides in Valdis. A prophecy, they whisper, but a prophecy to what? Valdis will do what it takes to find the answers she has longed for. Nothing will step in her way as she reaches out to claim her destiny, a destiny that perhaps she should have left alone.Doomed for destruction from the start, all Valdis Starborn wanted was to hide from her inevitability, from the curse that controls her being. But, as fate would have it, one cannot run from the mayhem in which they willingly feed.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Dark Matter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188116
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue: The Beginning of The End

The darkness was always there.

Sometimes it was demanding, other times it was passive. No amount of restraint could stop her now, not when her soul bled with black. No longer did the plush sensations of the light exist in her skin and bones. Not even a tomb embalming its existence could be found. The light was craving, admittedly. Good deeds led to a warm blush, a bubble of softness, and an array of future mistakes. The good were praised, raised up as heroes, icons in legends, their triumphant stories remembered for centuries to come. But the dark— _oh, the dark_ — it was powering. No man, no warrior, no god who could stop the encasing lust that grips a determined mind. They tried to stop her, to submit her to an idle girl with too much power that needed a harness. The light's first mistake was thinking she could be controlled.

She proved them wrong as the darkness grew in her heart. Too long had she willingly kept herself on a leash, the barbed collar dug into her neck for so long that pain and obedience was all she knew. Destiny made her this way, but Fate kept her bound to the light. Until, Fate's grip slipped, and she _ran._

Valdis Starborn was meant for more than the galaxy was ready for, and she was ready to fulfill her every destiny with the power bestowed upon her.

Nothing could stop her now. Pure, raw power flowed through her veins. All she has ever fought for lay before her feet, a bloody aftermath trailing down the ground before settling into the earth under her. Euphoria pooled in her heart as the ground became stained with the warriors who fought to hold her down. Now, they will forever remain where she was pushed to.

Obsidian eyes do not look from the dead tyrant, his eyes forever soaking in the goddess who stands victorious above him. The dying of life in his eyes will always reflect the goddess with moonlight skin and ashy, smoke-like veins protruding from her skin. All around her, the slain bodies of the fool's army lay dead or at the mercy of her bloodlust. His death solidified their failure.

From her standpoint, as her army roared in cheer, the universe wanted this victory.

But Fate would have it another way.

A victory stumped like a flicker of fire against water. A sharp pain, a betrayal confession, and Valdis Starborn fell to her knees, her own blood staining her armor, her hands, her victory. Even as she falls, she cannot grasp what happened, how the dagger found itself ripping through her spine. Her soldiers were upon the assassin in a moment, but she could only focus on the dead king, now at his level, and his expression void of anything mocked her as pain erupted in each limb, each nerve set ablaze with an unquenchable burn.

" _I don't want to go_ ," her voice carried to listening ears. She had fought and won. She deserved to live, to see the universe succumb to her will, her destined rule.

The battle was long, and she had come out as victorious, but the garnet of the sky was foreboding to the very end. As she fades, she mockingly asked if it were a sign. The shimmer of crimson thickness matched the rolling red clouds from above and the fading of her ashen skin was uncannily similar of the empty bodies around her. Below Valdis, she watched the drops of ruby-red meet with an enemy's, their essence of life becoming one.

There was no hope as life faded each second. The end was near, _again_. She knew this, and her hand gripped a steel sword for balance. Memories she did not know she had resurfaced, but she would not have time to ponder the unlocked visions. Rasps of breath reach for help, begging the air around her to heal the lethal wound. But Valdis created her destiny, a painful reminder plaguing her raging thoughts. Her power was all her own, and with it, she decided to use her strength to conquer and to destroy. Screams echoed inside of her skull. A single tear shed: her death was in her own bloody hands.

All because Valdis desired a throne.

The void growing in her eyes did not leave vacant gems across from her, a lifeless pair swimming in crystalline fear before frozen in death. Or maybe she simply did not have the strength to look away. In the reflection of the tyrant's eyes, she sees a herself, weak, broken, and nearly invisible. Valdis falls forwards, the last exhale carrying her form somewhere else far, far away.

Fate, this time, was determined for light to reign.

And Death— oh, how she laughed.


	2. The Arrival

From the chaos and voidof Ginnungagap came the beginning of everything. Where silence and darkness once existed, the beginning saw the creation of the giant Ymir from the fires of Muspelheim and the ice from Nifelheim, and from him, the Aesir were born. The universe was given a breath of life. It was said that all that will ever be was formed in the great beginning, the seeds of all life would sprout and flourish the cosmos until Ragnarök returned the universe back into the dark and silent abyss.

But so it seemed the void had one last creation.

As if falling from the darkness of Ginnungagap itself, a mysterious figure clad in obsidian armor fell from the cosmos, landing on the home of the Aesir: Asgard. It did not take a healer to note the height should have killed anyone, perhaps to the degree in which there would be no body to find. However, after washing upon the shore where Asgard's fiercest and strongest knights waited, they were all but surprised to find the being was a young woman.

Now, on the ninth day of her comatose state, Odin once again finds himself at the girl's bedside. While it is unclear when or if she will wake, the ruler of the Aesir still found himself in the hospital at least once a day. After all, the young woman's arrival was the hottest topic throughout Yggdrasil, the cosmic nexus of the Nine Realms.

No conclusion had been made yet and all the citizens across Yggdrasil who had heard the story were begging the Allfather for answers. Many already had their opinions laid out, arguing that she was a sign of the cosmos planning something great. However, many were on the side that she forebodes the coming of the end. There were assumptions that the empty black hole that opened in Asgard's sky was the darkness itself, teasing the arrival of Ragnarök. Either interpretation was a well enough argument in its own right, but they all faced the same dilemma: no one knew anything. Waiting was all anyone could do as the young woman lies on a cot with a steady breath and flushed cheeks.

"She's in perfect condition," the head nurse disclosed to Odin, her eyes wide in contemplation. When the Einherjar Guards first carried her to the medic bay, the girl appeared dead, the color drained from her face and her lips a soft blue hue. There were spots of dried blood on her armor and on the inside from where the sea did not rub away hard enough. "The only mark on her body is an old scar. There is nothing proving she fell at all. Not even a scratch." Odin hoped the crimson stains were not a bad omen.

Royal advisors were tasked to search all records pointing towards a prophecy or another occurrence of someone falling from the heavens and coming out unscathed in the process. Nine days and eight nights later, no answers were found. Odin hoped to find a vision from his father and father before him from their resting places in Valhalla, but there was nothing but silence from the gods. Odin even scoped guidance from Mimir, but the head merely told the Allfather time will reveal all secrets. The only option left was speculation, and that was not enough to calm an entire system of realms.

To attempt to quench the cries, a pair of spellbound chains loop around the girl's wrists and to the sides of the cot. Good intentions or not, the Allfather would not put his realm at risk by judging a book by its cover.

The Allfather sits and reads from his youngest son's book. A book of magical adventures, the history of the Aesir, and possible tellings of the Norns. When he was a young boy, his father gave him the same book and even after reading cover-to-cover more times than the number of stars in the sky, Odin still digs into every detail he comes across. The god swears that he has heard a story of a girl falling from the sky once before— and he remembers what occurred after. But, as if the universe wanted to tease the Allfather, there was nothing he could find. Despite the dead ends, Odin is determined and would stop at nothing in his search for answers.

Unfortunately, it seemed not even the cost of Odin's eye would grant him knowledge this time.

With a sigh, Odin closes the book and places it on the bedside table. The thud was strong enough to wake a sleeping giant, and yet, the girl did not move. Not even a flinch.

"I should have guessed I would find you here."

The feminine voice from behind Odin is soft, easing his tightly wound nerves and racing questions. He barely looks over his shoulder as her hand comes to rest upon his arm, offering a squeeze that the Allfather relaxes into. "It is a king's duty to ensure the safety of his realm."

A smile reveals itself on the queen's lips. Frigga leans down to speak closer to her husband. "It is a king's duty to attend his sons' lessons that he promised."

Odin feels his head loll backwards slightly. With all the wonderment and questions, the promise to practice sword sparring with his sons slipped his mind. A great part of him feels upset with himself as he pictures his two sons waiting for nothing. "There is always tomorrow," the Allfather replies.

"Yes, there is," Frigga agrees, slinking her hand down to intertwine her fingers with his. "Come. Supper will grow cold if we wait any longer. Your boys miss you."

The Allfather lets his stare rest upon the girl's face. Her features are light but matured with dark hair and lashes to match. The curve of her nose speaks for innocence, but the cut of her jaw screams the opposite. Odin remembers the scar the nurse had mentioned. Letting his eye wander to the cracked skin right below her collarbone from where it peeks out beyond her temporary linen dress, Odin wonders how she became the bearer to such a mark. Despite not seeing the old wound in its entirety, he believed the head nurse when she proclaimed the falling entity was not some girl, but a warrior. No ordinary girl earns a scar like that from an accident (or falls from the sky, for that matter). Glancing over to the mighty and intimidating sword and the ensemble of armor, Odin has no reason to argue.

Another day and night, another weight added to the situation. By the fifth day, Odin began to grow anxious and, as his wife tugs on his hand for the second time now, approaching the ninth night, he feels nothing but frustration. Part of him thinks the girl will never wake, left for eternity as a mysterious sleeping beauty.

With a nod, Odin rises to his feet, Frigga sending a loving gaze as their arms interlock. The couple barely takes two steps before Odin spots the medic who was pausing her movements to bow. "Send word if she wakes."

The nurse's eyes flash to the girl then to the Allfather. Her mouth suddenly hangs open and she makes a double take. "I do not think I will need to send a messenger, Allfather..."

Turning their heads, Odin and Frigga find their guest with her eyes fluttering open.

Odin turns to Frigga to speak, but she beats him with words and a nod. "I will explain to Thor and Loki, then return. Stay; food may be brought up later." Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Frigga then departs from the medical bay, a look of apprehension very clear on her features.

The girl says nothing as she looks at the old man clad in golden fabric. When her eyes meet his, surprised to find the man has one eye socket covered with a thin piece of golden metal— and almost reaches up to see if she had only one like the man before her— all she does is swallow. She then notices the cuffs attached to her wrists. Her eyes become wide, wild with emotions she has never felt before. In an instant, she finds panic soaring through her veins, a new feeling she isn't quite fond of.

"Would you like me to fetch a guard?" the nurse asks.

Studying the girl, Odin decides to shake his head. "I think I will be alright. But perhaps the guards standing outside should be alerted, just in case."

The nurse nods her head, sends the girl on the cot one last look, then parts down the hall, walking with a purpose until she exits. Waiting for the taps of footsteps to disappear, Odin remains standing at the girl's bedside. When he concludes they are alone, Odin allows his body to fully turn, finding his chair a few feet away. Slowly and cautiously, he grips the back and brings it closer, then lowers himself into the seat. The girl grips the thin sheets, wrists growing irritated from the metal bindings.

"What is your name, dear?" Odin asks with his tone laced in amiability. He hopes not to spook her with his booming voice or his golden eye patch.

Her dark eyes dart from examining his face to the room in which she finds herself. Odin takes notice that her eyes are closer to a pitch black than brown. He isn't sure whether to be unsettled or intrigued.

The young woman takes in the room, noting everything from the floor panel to the texture of her sheets. She makes the deduction that she is in a hospital, seeing a cabinet lined with jars of ointment and utensils and lines of empty, identical cots. The girl has barely a moment to remember how and why she finds herself in such a place when her eyes flicker back to the man. The older man before her reigns superiority, for he bears golden textiles, intricate designs bedded into the front and large pads on his shoulders that deem attention. _A king_ , she decides. The old man who might possibly be a ruler is offering her a moment to gather her thoughts, no pressure to answer quickly. A small feeling of gratitude enters her thoughts. She could have woken up in a place much, much worse.

After her examination, she looks back to the man's eye. A tongue pokes from out of her mouth and wets her dry lips before answering. "My name is Valdis Starborn."

_Valdis Starborn_ , Odin considers. _How entirely fitting_. A strange name for an equally strange girl. In all his years, he has never met another Aesir with such a name, however it tastes familiar. A spark of recognition exists, but Odin finds no such idea as to why. "Valdis, do you know how you got here?"

The girl looks down in thought, brows pinching together. A roar of cries, a heated pain, and then nothing. As soon as the images flashed before her eyes, they were gone like the wind carrying smoke. Valdis reaches for the blips of memory to return, but all she's left with is confusion and emptiness. Nothing. She remembers nothing.

Valdis shakes her head slowly. "No, I do not." She swallows a lump in her throat realizing she does not know how she got to this room, nor anything else. Valdis searches through her thoughts to find her head void of any memory. "I do not know how or why I am here, but I also do not know where I come from. I fear my memories are... Gone."

Odin raises his chin, studying her puzzled expression. Not the answer he was hoping for, but at least she had a name. It was something among the sea of questions. "Do you know where you are?"

"No," Valdis answers quietly. "But, if I had to make a guess, somewhere nice. I expected a dungeon as my welcoming."

A slight twitch to the lips meets Odin as Valdis smiles sheepishly. "This is Asgard, the home of the Aesir and peacekeepers to the galaxy, and I am Odin, the Allfather. It is my duty to maintain balance in the cosmos, which includes sorting out the mysteries that the universe creates, such as yourself."

Valdis's eyebrows pinch. "Allfather?" She ponders out loud. Odin watches the girl carefully as her dark eyes leave him only to focus downwards, head tipped slightly in thought. "Allfather..."

"You speak as if something is coming back to you."

Looking back up, Valdis says, "'Allfather' sounds familiar. I feel like I have heard it before, but..." Her voice trails into silence, unable to locate the words or memories that have sparked some kind of recognition.

"Perhaps a sign that your memory will return," Odin hopes, eyeing her suspiciously.

The sound of heeled shoes on marble reaches both sets of ears, and Odin stands, turning to find Frigga coming to his side. Her smile is kind and warm, maintaining itself when she takes careful steps towards the young woman on the bed. Valdis cannot help but mirror the gentle expression.

"Valdis," Odin addresses, his arm outstretched towards her before angling to direct her attention to the new presence. "I am honored to introduce you to my wife and queen of Asgard, Frigga."

Memorizing the girl's name, Frigga passes in front of her husband. "How are you, dear girl?" Frigga asks, taking another step before lowering down to sit on the bed at Valdis's feet. "You fell from so high. We've all been worried about your health."

"'We?'" Valdis questions. Her heart spikes as she wonders what Frigga speaks of. With her memory wiped, it comes to Valdis's attention that not only does she not know where she came from or why she is on Asgard, but she is just as clueless as to _how_ she ended up in a hospital in the first place. "Wait... _I fell?_ "

Frigga's smile falters some, now understanding the downturn of Odin's expression. "Do you not remember?"

Valdis shakes her head, a new wave of rose-colored embarrassment coating her pale cheeks.

Only nodding once, Frigga does not let her worried sentiment show itself so clearly. Instead, the queen looks to her husband, continuing her words. "I hope my husband has not frightened you, little star. He has a habit." With this comment, the queen sends a wink to Valdis, who feels herself smiling.

Valdis notes that while the Allfather seems wise and just with a headstrong, powerful ambiance, the queen radiates a sunny glow, a tenderness that touches all. There is a balance to their chemistry, easily evening out what tension Valdis had in her thoughts. "No, the Allfather has been kind, my queen."

"You may call me Frigga, sweet one." The queen lets herself think for barely a second before letting her words play out loud. "Would you allow me to try something, Valdis? I would like to see if I can help with your lost memories."

Barely a pause ensues before Valdis lets out short exhale that sounds like a laugh. "It's not like I have much to lose at this point, do I?" It appears it was Valdis's turn to encourage a smile.

Lifting both her hands, Frigga extends her arms out towards Valdis. With no other warning, the queen cups Valdis's jaw gently. Before the young woman could react, a warm heat penetrates her skin and a faint, golden glow could be seen from under her eye. Valdis did nothing but stare questioningly at the woman before her. As quick as the touch was, Frigga withdrew her hands, sending a stare to her husband.

"Nothing," Odin remarks but with conviction in his tone.

Standing, Frigga speaks to Odin. " _Seiðr_ did not work. Either a stronger force is baring all of us or she truly has no memory."

Valdis listens idly, knowing this is when her fate will be decided. She isn't sure where she would go or what she would do if the rulers before her were to cast her out. Maybe they would keep her locked away in the dungeons with criminals. Or maybe they'd send her somewhere else, somewhere less lavish than Asgard and cruel to oddities such as herself. No matter the case, Valdis only knows what has happened since she opened her eyes minutes ago, nothing more. She is not aware of any other realm, nor king, nor law. If Odin did not trust her, Valdis would have no fathomable idea what to do. The king must realize this, especially after what his queen just told him. Valdis still sticks out for hope, so much so that she feels as though she is pushing her pleas into the king and queen's minds.

"She has nowhere to go, Odin," Frigga continues, sending Valdis a small, tight-lipped smile before her eyes widen, quickly turning back to her husband. "Allow me to take her under my wing. Perhaps we can work to uncover her memories with time."

Odin takes a long look to his wife before focusing his attention back on Valdis, a hopeful look upon her face. It would not be the first time Frigga would become a mother to a child she did not conceive, but Odin cannot help but feel vastly more concerned this time around. No one knows who or what Valdis is, not even the girl herself, _allegedly_.

"She will be no trouble," Frigga insists. The queen glances over to Valdis. "Will she?"

Valdis was quick to shake her head. "No, of course not, my lady. I want to uncover the truth as much as you do."

The dungeons would be too dangerous for a woman like her and the cot she lies on will be needed eventually. Frigga is a powerful sorceress, one of the most talented the Aesir have ever come across, if not the best of them all. No one has deceived her yet, and this fact was set to stay for eternity. Such a creature as Valdis would not have the powers to break this record, but the preexisting confusion shrouding Odin's mind remains. Perhaps she can best his wife, or perhaps not. There would be rules to be made and there would be concern around Valdis's mystery, but what better sorceress to delve into the mysterious fallen entity?

Odin straightens his back as he turns from the yearnful eyes of Frigga, setting his stern gaze upon the girl in bed. Her eyes shone of the same buoyancy as Frigga. "You may not be safe here," Odin says, his voice steady and heavy with urgency. "Asgard is home to the best warriors, but that does not guarantee your safety. If you are running, they will find you eventually, and I will not risk my people if you show not to be as innocent as you seem."

Valdis nods. "I do not think anyone is after me, Allfather."

"But you do not know that for sure."

Valdis swallows. "Yes."

Odin lets out a long breath, sending his gaze to rest upon Frigga. His wife's stare is still set upon him with a plea, a loving care that Odin fell for millennia ago. There is no bone in Frigga's body that would allow her to turn away someone in need. It's what makes her a wonderful queen, a perfect soulmate to her sagacious husband. He knows that keeping the girl would possibly become a path for trouble. There will be others like Frigga who are interested in Valdis, but many may not have as innocent intentions.

With his chin poised, Odin turns to Valdis, taking several steps forwards until he is right beside the girl. For a moment, both Frigga and Vadis fear the worst. "You will temporarily live in the guests' wing and will be accompanied by a pair of guards everywhere you go. If your memory returns by the next moon, you shall have the option to leave. If you are still without your past, I would encourage you to stay."

It seemed as though the universe let out a sigh of relief as Odin spoke. From the corner of her eye, Valdis could spot Frigga wearing a gracious grin.

"However," Odin continued. "If there is any sign that you come with dark intentions or you do anything to harm this realm or the next, you will be imprisoned for the rest of eternity. Is this clear?"

There is no hesitation as Valdis nods her head. "Yes, Allfather."

"Good." With a simple wave of his hand, the two cuffs around Valdis's wrists unlock, the rounded pieces once rubbing against her skin now clicking backwards in on itself until the golden bands and chain disappear entirely.

"Come, Valdis," Frigga says, her hands holding out for the dark-haired girl to take. "We will head to your temporary quarters until a permanent one has been arranged." Holding her arms out, Frigga helps Valdis rise to her feet, her stature and built fully shown. She stands just a few inches shorter than the queen, but something about her shoulders and straight spine makes Frigga look small in comparison. Opposite to Valdis's meek disposition, the exterior of her shell is strong and battle-ready. This does not pass by Odin, his observant eye catching every movement made.

Frigga helps Valdis into a robe as Odin turns away. He eyes the armor on the table, as well as the bladed sword, staring in awe at the craftsmanship. If Odin had to make a guess, not even the skilled dwarves of Nidavellir could have fashioned such beautiful designs. In fact, the Allfather has never come across the kind in all his thousands of years. The designs are fluid yet sharp, demanding and large yet smooth and delicate, the points and edges telling all to beware while enticing enough to desire a closer look. The sword was no different, the steel and obsidian mashing together tastefully. Unlike any sword he has seen, the hilt extends out and up, several smaller blades pointed in the direction of an enemy. There was nothing but peril that radiates from the ensemble, and yet, Odin could not help but gape in admiration. How odd such a timid creature would be the owner of such an array of danger-exuding armor?

So many questions raised in Odin's mind at the examination, and it seemed as though more were raised with each day. In the nine days since her arrival, all one could do was question. The Allfather believes he is not the only one who finds themself in the realm of curiosity. No doubt there were others who were just as interested in the girl who fell from space, perhaps some having the answers Odin desperately craves. And some may just do anything to have Valdis Starborn.

"Valdis," Odin calls, shifting his eye from her armor to the two women taking their leave. Both look in his direction fluidly. Valdis stands with wide eyes, ready for what he may aim at her. As if she has been here before. "The way you arrived on Asgard is no ordinary occurrence. There are talks of you wielding a power strong enough to rip Yggdrasil apart, or worse. Many will want to meet you, and many will want to use you. Keep this in mind; it may save your life."

The girl who fell from the cosmos offers a single nod before allowing Frigga to escort her out of the room, leaving Odin to his thoughts. Undoubtedly, there would be more questions to be raised in the next few days, but perhaps Mimir's answer would be met. The vibrations of primordial fire and ice that created all seemed to have fashioned something not yet seen before and it was up to the Allfather to unravel questions into answers. A blessing, a curse, or something the universe was not ready for, all anyone could do now was wait.

Time will eventually give Odin his answers. However, part of him fears what those will be.


End file.
